Sports administrator;
Born May 20, 1918;
Died June 27, 2007.

ARTHUR Campbell, who has died aged 89, was the first person to serve two terms as chair of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, and held that post when the 1986 event was staged in Edinburgh.

He left school at 14 to heave sacks on a Co-op coalman's cart in Bridgeton, Glasgow, but he became fluent in French and had facility in four other languages. These included Czech and German, when Eastern Europe was a sporting force. Membership of the Communist Party also did him no harm as one of the most influential and inspirational sports administrators of his generation.

As well as the two terms served at the helm of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, he was general team manager at the games of 1982 and 1990 and chef de mission in 1994, but cycling was his passion, and he was one of the most powerful and helpful figures (more often a mutually exclusive combination) organising some 20 world championships.

Even at 89 he retained his love of the bike. Before his death on Wednesday last week following a stroke, Campbell was in the saddle, riding a turbo trainer last week in the garden of his home in Lenzie and checking his effort with a heart monitor. "Any blink of sun, and I'm out," he would say. Only in the past year had he quit riding his favoured road circuit. He had still been managing 12 miles an hour. "But there are too many parked cars. Doors are always being opened under your wheel," he told his son-in-law, former pro rider Billy Bilsland, who owns a cycle shop in Glasgow's Saltmarket.

Campbell twice rode the Brighton-Glasgow race (forerunner of the Tour of Britain) in the 1950s, finishing mid-field. In 1952, he helped unify the sport in a single body, the Scottish Cyclists' Union. He was inaugural president for 34 years. During six of these he was also British Federation president. When elected to that post, he beat the then Sports Minister, Denis Howell, by a single vote.

The Scottish Milk Race, which he organised, attracted the best teams in Europe, and riders included Tour de France winner Joop Zoetemelk.

He was a member of the world body, the Union Cycliste Internationale, for 36 years, and stunned colleagues when he attended his first UCI meeting in Zurich in 1953. He had travelled there on his bike.

President of the UCI technical committee for 12 years (the only British person to hold the post) he had, unfortunately, stood down by the time Graeme Obree's innovative bike and riding style came under scrutiny.

"There's no doubt Graeme's bike did not comply with the rules," said Campbell recently, "but it was only marginally out. Italian and French riders often had bikes that did not comply, but a blind eye was turned to them. I would say Graeme was treated a bit harshly."

When Greg Lemond entered the Champs Elysees at the end of the 1989 Tour de France centenary race, gripping triathlon handlebars, Campbell was standing beside race director Jean Marie Leblanc, and went white. "I knew immediately that Lemond should not have been allowed to ride with those bars, but once the commissaire has cleared the bike, it's irrevocable," Campbell said later. Though still president of the technical committee, he was powerless. "It's like the referee saying the ball had crossed the line. The goal stands. A different version of the tri bar is allowed now, but not the kind Lemond used. They were never sanctioned again, but it was too late for Laurent Fignon."

The Frenchman had held a 50-second lead before that final stage, and looked impregnable in the yellow jersey. Lemond overturned that to win by eight seconds, the narrowest margin in the race's history. It was calculated that the drag from Fignon's trademark ponytail cost him the race.

Campbell served his time as a coach builder and established a successful motor trade business in the Glasgow's Duke Street. He was twice married, for 45 years to Nora, and for nine to Evelyn, whom he met on a Saga holiday in Malta. He is survived by daughters Isla and Shona, grandchildren Neil, Greer and Victoria, and Evelyn.

His sense of fair play was legendary. He was furious when the Scots were given poor accommodation at the 1982 Commonwealth event, and negotiated better. The Herald carried a story under the heading: "Black hole of Brisbane." When head of Scotland's Commonwealth team in New Zealand, he demanded an inquiry when he spotted England using GB bikes that were denied to Scotland. "Arthur could dig his heels in if it was to the advantage of the athletes or Scottish sport," said Commonwealth gold medal diver Sir Peter Heatly yesterday.

Campbell's connections smoothed Bilsland's path to the continent, where he rode the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta d'Espana, won the Tour de L'Avenir and a stage of the Peace Race. He also paved the way to France for Glaswegian Robert Millar, and gave the future Tour King of the Mountains winner French lessons before he left.

He was instrumental in other Scots making a mark on international cycling, officials such as Gerry McDaid, one of the longest-serving commissaires (referees) who was in charge of the Tour de France anti-doping, Jock Shaw and George Millar.

When Glasgow Wheelers, his club, celebrated its 75th anniversary, Campbell persuaded Tour legend Eddie Merckx to be guest of honour. This was payback for Campbell having ruled as incompetent a dubious doping case against the Belgian when the Italians tried to deny him victory in the Giro.

He also persuaded Gino Bartali, Tour de France winner either side of the Second World War, to come to a Wheelers' dinner.

In his day, Arthur Campbell made Glasgow the hub of the cycling world.

His funeral will be held at 11.30am on Thursday at Daldowie.

Doug Gillon